Manberry Cake with kiwi frosting

If you are thinking that this cake looks girly, you’re wrong. This is a manly cake…a man’s man cake…the perfect cake for Nathan’s birthday on Saturday.
The Manberry cake originated from the following conversation:
I said to Nathan, “So, hypothetical question. If you could have any hypothetical cake for your hypothetical birthday on Saturday what would it be?”
Nathan responded immediately as though he had been waiting three years for me to ask, “mmmm, strawberry cake with kiwi icing.”
I regarded him sceptically and then told him that I would hypothetically be baking a cake the following evening and that he was not allowed in the kitchen between 7:30 and 9:30PM. (I would have surprised him except that our apartment is not conducive to secrets…especially cake secrets.)

When the conversation ended I had my challenge and conducted intensive and exhaustive research on how to successfully execute one of Nathan’s culinary brainchildren: a cake variety that I had never heard of or seen before. The result is a fusion of a very simple recipe and my own experimentation. The cake was moist and light with a strong flavor of real strawberry and the frosting was sweet and tangy with a light greenish tint and tell-tale black kiwi seeds scattered throughout. One of our friends who came to town to celebrate Nathan’s birthday with us declared that even though he had been sceptical of a strawberry-kiwi cake it was one of the best cakes he had ever eaten. And so we present to you the girliest manliest cake you will ever eat…the manberry cake with kiwi frosting.

Kiwi Frosting Ingredients:

Directions for the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Directions for the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the kiwi puree and the vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh kiwi, if desired.